Greetings…
Today, is the first day of the rest of our lives. The day when we officially start the process to dispense with an uncaring, self-centered, spiteful, disinterested and ever-absent representative – Nevis’ greatest hanger on…..Vance Amory.
Tonight we are breathing new life into Gingerland.
For 25 years he has warmed the opposition benches in the National Assembly moving from the stupidity of neutrality to pseudo secessionist, to back-bencher and junior clerk in the Unity Concoction… to frequent absentee representative. Our representative at every turn, by every measure, has been Missing in Action all these years. His last Houdini act was this past Wednesday when the nation recognized its 25 Most Remarkable Teens. The Prime Minister and his Federal Cabinet were there to duly honour the nation’s finest, and celebrate their excellence.
But alas the Opposition was absent in bloc.
Four of the awardees were from this constituency alone. Leandre Dyer from Matchman’s Road, Neila Jones from Rawlins, and Nicoyann Blackett and Sadiki Tyson from Hard Times. Yet, the man was usual a “no show”.
From 1989 to the present – a long quarter of a century, almost 1 ½ times the length of time that a first- time voter has been on Planet Earth, he has brought untold benefits to himself, but the long-suffering people of Gingerland can see no real tangible benefits. Indeed, if the late Canon Edgar Blant were to return to the St. George’s Rectory, or the late Father Roland Hall of St. James were to drive through the constituency : I doubt either would say “well done thy good and faithful servant.”
In effect we have had the modern version of Taxation without Representation – Double Taxation Without Representation from Vance Amory, so we could not have come to a better venue, because Gingerlanders have truly had Hard Times.
It is incumbent on us that we new breathe new life into Gingerland.
Today, the 22 day of November, 2014 – the 51st anniversary of the passing of a youthful, brilliant world leader in John F. Kennedy – the youngest person at 43 to have been elected to the high office of President of the United States, we come to launch another youthful candidate for constituency 10, Gingerland in Cory Makani “Masablue” Tyson. A man who will do wonders for this forgotten parish and constituency . One who is prepared to ask like Kennedy did in his inaugural address on January 20, 1961: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” In his 27 years of elective politics, the present representative has reversed that maxim. It has always been “Ask what you the long-suffering people of Gingerland and Nevis can do for him, and not what he can do for his parish or country.”
So we must breathe new life back into Gingerland.
So we bring you Cory Tyson of the Nevis Reformation Party and Team Cory. Cory is here tonight to answer the call. This young, vibrant, dedicated, community-minded and trustworthy man with KORE values is exactly what Gingerlanders need and deserve at this time. As nephew- in -law of St. Kitts and Nevis fourth National Hero, first premier and father of Modern Day Nevis, the Rt. Excellent Dr. Simeon Daniel NH, Cory has seen first -hand what service really means, and fully understands that “Performance Matters.”
That’s why a new army of youthful voters is breathing new life into Gingerland.
Let me close my opening remarks by adopting the final paragraph of JFK’s inaugural address: “With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”
You can make the change.
Together, we can make the change.